Featuring David Sedaris's unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life.

In "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck," three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiting in a complaint line. In "Hello Kitty," a cynical feline struggles to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings. In "The Squirrel and the Chipmunk," a pair of star-crossed lovers is separated by prejudiced family members.

With original illustrations by Ian Falconer, author of the bestselling Olivia series of children's books, these stories are David Sedaris at his most observant, poignant, and surprising, and he and Phillips make it that much more enjoyable to listen to.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Sedaris is a playwright and a regular commentator for National Public Radio. He is also the author of the bestselling Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Dress Your Family in Corduroy, Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames and Me Talk Pretty One Day. He travels extensively though Europe and the United States on lecture tours and lives in France.

MY REVIEW:SQUIRREL SEEKS CHIPMUNK is a different David Sedaris from the one who readers know for his entertaining and amusing stories from his past and own life experiences. In this new book, the stories are really what we might want to call fables but these are not Aesop at all. Yes, they do feature animals telling the stories and there is a lesson or moral but again, not quite one we may want to share or follow necessarily. However, they will make you laugh for the most part. The humor does get a bit dark and so I caution you to not mistake this for a child’s animal story book! This is not Bambi and Winnie the Pooh, and in fact these animals often do some pretty awful things. However, Sedaris uses his animal characters to get his sarcastic and often irreverent points across.

The book is made up of 16 of these fables and they include stories like one of my favorites “The Judicious Brown Chicken” where one chicken tells her sister that when she is with a rooster she sometimes wishes she was with another chicken instead. The lesson at the end is, according to the sister, that she dies and it is because she thought “unnatural thoughts” and you can almost see Sedaris’s face with a “See what I mean about some people?“ look on his face. Added to all this are the wonderfully talented illustrations by Ian Falconer in the book. With the audio book, Sedaris nicely includes in the third CD a PDF file with illustrations from the book. I usually laugh out loud at Sedaris’s stories and there were a lot I laughed at in this one but there were also some that were a little too “out there” for me…perhaps a little too dark. But overall, he is a very talented and funny story teller and I do think best heard even more so than read.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE GOOD FOLKS AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS HILARIOUS AUDIO BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRYHOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THE REVIEW AND/OR VIDEO ABOUT SQUIRREL SEEKS CHIPMUNK ABOVE AND WHY YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN THIS AS AN AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY:VISIT DAVID SEDARIS'S WEBSITE HERE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND THERE. PERHAPS YOU HAVE READ ANOTHER OF HIS BOOKS.

+1 MORE ENTRY:BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 (0R ?) MORE ENTRIES:COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. FOR EVERY ONE YOU ENTERED AND COMMENT ON SEPARATELY, IT COUNTS AS ANOTHER ENTRY.

Wow, I don't think I've ever been the 1st on BINGO! No Black friday Shopping for me neither. Course I just finished yet another piece of apple pie & ice cream! :) i've not read any f this authors works but, would love to listen to this one. i would like to see what it feels like to actually laugh on the way to work.

I went to the author web site and looked at his tour schedule. He is in Canada right now. It looks like he travels a lot! He just goes all over the U.S. and Canada. He has been traveling for months. Amazing.susanbillietaylor [at] gmail [dot] com

Hi!I'd like to win this to give as a gift. I think a friend of mine or my brother would enjoy this the most!Thanks so much for the opportunity to win in this giveaway!~Mippy :)bunnysmip at yahoo dot com

Hi!On his website thebook Holidays On Ice looks like it has quite a few humorous stories in it. I have not read any of his book so it would be nice to read one. *writes down on reading list*Thanks so much for the opportunity to win in this giveaway!~Mippy :)bunnysmip at yahoo dot com

It's awesome to see David Sedaris branch out (no pun intended!) to animal characters! I actually read this book, checked out from library and a lady reading over my shoulder on the bus was horrified-hahaha!Thanks! foxsquirrelrabbit at gmail dot com

I thought it was a childrens book, I was confused after reading about the book, it didn't really sounds like a kids book but your review told me it wa not for children, so I'd like to give it a listen. TY

I found it interesting that though the characters may nit be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday like. I would like to win this audio book because it sounds hilarious. garrettsambo@aol.com

Thanks to all!

Sadly, we will be saying good bye to Bookin' With Bingo early next month. Things just have been too hectic so we have chosen to close down with hopes for a new "BWB" someday. Thanks to all and KEEP READING!